Bleeding
Gums
Bleeding gums is among the common
conditions affecting the oral cavity. The Chinese might
have noticed bleeding gums as early as 2500 BC. They
termed the associated diseases as “Ya-Kon” which means
diseases of soft tissue surrounding the teeth. This
problem still continues to affect us even with so many
modern facilities available in the field of
oral care.
what are the causes for bleeding gums?
1. Long standing information for gums: Poor maintenance of
the teeth, such as inadequate brushing or failure to rinse
the mouth after meals results in a thin layer of food and
bacteria covering the tooth surface. This bacterium is the
chief culprit behind the inflammation. The gums during the
stage of infection become soft, spongy and swollen. Trauma
to the gums by hard brushing or tooth picking with sharp
objects result in gingival bleeding.
2. Bleeding can also be due to injury of the gums by any
sharp food item e.g., fish bone.
3. Hot food and chemicals can end up burning the gums,
further resulting in bleeding. For e.g. Some people still
follow the practice of placing pain relieving tablets on
the gum adjacent to the painful tooth, which invariably
causes burns.
4. Certain rapidly spreading infections can damage the
blood vessels of the gums resulting in bleeding. One such
disease is ANUG.
5. Deficiency of Vitamin C causes problems with the blood
vessels, hence causing bleeding in the gums.
Ancient
sailors were known to suffer from this problem until some
one came up with the bright idea of stocking the ships
with oranges during travel. As we know oranges are a rich
source of Vitamin C.
6. Certain general illness of the body can also
precipitate gingival bleeding.
They are the following.
a. Allergic reaction.
b. Increase in number of cells called platelets. These are
cells, which join together to form a plate that blocks the
bleeding from an injured vessel.
c. Failure in Blood clotting mechanism due to deficiency
of a
few important components.
d. Cancerous condition called leukemia.
e. Certain drugs
such as aspirin and anti-coagulants, which
prevent the
normal clotting mechanism of the blood.